The Drain Inspector
CCTV Drain Inspections
A camera inspection of your drains that shows you what's wrong and marks where it is, before you spend a penny on repairs.
What you get
We inspect the drains at your home with a professional push-rod CCTV camera. You watch the picture on our screen as we go, and we talk you through what you’re seeing. When we find a problem, we locate the camera head from above ground and mark the spot on the surface.
After the inspection, we email you a report of what we found, with any video footage of your drains.
We’re an inspection-only service. We don’t jet, unblock, reline or dig. That keeps us honest: there’s no repair job for us to win, so we’ve no reason to make a problem sound worse than it is.
What we do on an inspection
CCTV drain inspection
A camera goes through each drain run we can reach from your inspection chambers, so we can see the state of the pipe all the way along.
Blocked drain diagnosis
We find out what’s causing a blockage or slow drain: build-up, roots, a broken pipe, or a sunken section that holds water.
Fault finding
We follow the drain line to pinpoint where the flow is restricted or the pipe is damaged, and how far it is from the nearest chamber.
Location and surface marking
We track the camera head with a locator and mark the fault’s position on the ground, so any digging goes in the right place.
Before repairs or building work
Know what you’re dealing with before you get quotes, so you can compare like with like and avoid paying for work you don’t need.
Peace of mind
Smells, gurgling, slow sinks or a damp patch? Find out if your drains are the cause, or rule them out.
We do inspections, not surveys. We don’t produce formal coded survey reports for insurers, mortgage lenders or water companies. Here’s the difference, so you can be sure we’re the right people before you book.
What we’ll need from you
- Access to the inspection chambers (manhole covers) on your property.
- If it’s safe to, lift the covers before we arrive. It saves time.
- A parking space for our small vehicle, close to the drains. Any parking charges are payable on the day, and time spent parking counts towards the inspection, which may take it past the first hour.
- Tell us about the problem: what’s happening, when it started and anything already done.
See the full inspection checklist for everything we look at.
Check your price
Enter your postcode or town to see your price, then book your inspection.
Questions about the inspection
What is a CCTV drain inspection?
A small waterproof camera on a flexible rod is pushed through your drains from an inspection chamber. It sends a live picture to a screen so we can see the inside of the pipe and spot blockages, cracks, roots or collapses without digging.
How do you know where the fault is?
The camera head has a transmitter in it. We follow its signal from above ground with a locator and mark the spot on the surface once we’ve found the fault.
What do I get after the inspection?
We email you a report of what we found, with any video footage of your drains. It’s a report for you, not a formal coded survey report.
Will you clear my blocked drain?
No. We only inspect. If your drain is blocked solid, call a drain clearance company first. Once it’s flowing, we can inspect it to find out why it blocked.
Do you inspect commercial drains?
We focus on homes: houses, bungalows, flats and small residential properties. Send us a message if you’re not sure.
What if the camera can’t get through?
Sometimes other issues in the drain stop the camera reaching the main problem. We’re not responsible for these obstructions, and we don’t carry high-pressure jetting equipment to clear them on an inspection. If we can’t get to or into your drains on the day through no fault of our own, you’re expected to cover our costs.
Who is responsible for my drains?
Generally, you’re responsible for drains that only serve your property and sit within your boundary. Since October 2011, most shared drains and the pipe running from your boundary to the public sewer belong to the water company (Wessex Water across most of our area). An inspection can help show which part has the problem.